Action Team: Origins of the Spectral Irradiance and its Intermediate Timescale Variability
Team ID: S2-06
Lead:
James Klimchuk (NASA/GSFC, USA), James.A.Klimchuk@nasa.gov
Co-Lead:
Sherry Chhabra (GMU/NRL, USA),, Chhabra.Sherry@gmail.com
POC:
James Klimchuk (NASA/GSFC, USA), James.A.Klimchuk@nasa.gov
Keywords (Impact):
Satellite/debris drag, Navigation and/or Communications
Keywords (Other):
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Keywords (Activity Type):
Understanding , Modeling, Forecasting , Roadmap
Introduction:
As a major energy input to the terrestrial upper atmosphere, the solar spectral irradiance is an important driver of space weather. Variability on timescales of one to several days affects the drag experienced by orbiting objects and the propagation of radio signals via scintillation and a changing plasma frequency altitude profile. Such variability is associated with the evolution of solar active regions and the rotation of active regions onto and off of the visible solar disk.
Objectives:
The goal of this action team is to provide physical models for improved forecasts of the spectral irradiance and accurate nowcasts of gaps in wavelength coverage. Understanding coronal heating is an important part of this effort that will greatly benefit other action teams. Our team will interact closely with S2-02 (solar indices) and G2A-02 and 03 (terrestrial impacts).
Action items:
1. Assess the current state of modeling of the solar spectral irradiance
2. Identify existing research models that could be used for this purpose
3. Evaluate how the models can be improved and transitioned to operations
4. Determine how the model output depends on assumptions about coronal heating
5. Explore how new knowledge of coronal heating can be incorporated into the models
Action Topics:
- Analysis, modeling and prediction of coronal structure and solar wind sources,
- Understanding coronal heating and solar wind acceleration,
- Quantifying and forecasting irradiance inputs to ionosphere/thermosphere models
Cluster with overlapping topics:
- S2: Ambient solar magnetic field, heating and spectral irradiance,
- H4: Solar System and beyond,
- G2A: Atmosphere variability,
- G2B: Ionosphere variability
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